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Queen Asabia Cropper: The Highlife Queen Who Turned Kente Into Her Signature

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Long before Ghanaian music became dominated by Afrobeats, digital streaming and social media, there were female musicians who were already proving that women could command the highlife stage.

One of the most distinctive among them was Queen Asabia Cropper.

Queen Asabia welcomes another Heritage Month - MyJoyOnline

Born Eugenia Asabia Cropper, she became known as a singer and soprano saxophonist and eventually earned the title Queen of Highlife Music. Her career has also been closely connected with fashion, particularly the use of colourful Ghanaian kente as part of her stage identity.

Her story is not simply about music. It is a story about family, highlife, fashion, African identity, international performance and a woman who created a recognisable identity at a time when Ghana’s music industry was overwhelmingly male-dominated.

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Queen Asabia was born, raised and educated in Ghana.

She grew up in an environment where music and fashion were both important parts of her life. Her mother and grandmother played a significant role in developing her interest in fashion and headgear.

According to accounts of her life, they taught her different ways of tying and arranging headwear.

That childhood influence would eventually become one of the most recognisable aspects of her public image.

Her colourful headgear was not simply an accessory.

It became part of the Asabia brand.

Queen Asabia Cropper - Wikipedia

She later developed distinctive styles associated with names such as Mt Kilimanjaro, Afajato Kloyo and Yogaga.

Music also came into her life through her twin brother, Kenteman, whose birth name is Eugene Nene Agyeman Cropper.

Kenteman became a respected bassist, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, composer and producer.

He was instrumental in introducing Asabia to music.

During the 1970s, he taught her to play the piano and acoustic guitar.

Asabia later developed her skills on the soprano saxophone, receiving instruction from the renowned Ghanaian saxophonist Tex Korley in 1978 and later from Sammy Lartey Snr., a bandleader associated with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation band, in 1983.

This meant that Asabia was not merely a vocalist standing in front of a band, and she was also an instrumentalist.

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In 1975, Asabia and her twin brother became associated with the legendary Sweet Talks Band.

This period marked an important stage in her development as a professional musician.

The Sweet Talks were among the notable highlife groups of their generation, and being part of such a band placed Asabia in the middle of Ghana’s vibrant live-band culture.

It was also around this period that she began incorporating her distinctive kente headwear into her stage appearance.

She has said that she first wore the kente headwrap on stage in 1975. Fifty years later, she was still using the style as part of her performances.

Asabea Cropper for SSUE’s Signature Concert

From Ghana to Côte d’Ivoire

Asabia’s career was not restricted to Ghana.

She and Kenteman later became associated with the Black Hustlers Band, which operated in Côte d’Ivoire.

This became one of the most important periods of their international musical journey.

The band included Asabia as singer and saxophonist, Kenteman on bass, Pope Flynn, Alfred Young on lead guitar, Alex Abito on drums and Max Cozy on keyboards.

The Côte d’Ivoire experience exposed the siblings to a wider West African audience and helped them build an identity beyond Ghana.

The birth of  Pagne du Asabia

It was in Côte d’Ivoire that Asabia’s fashion identity became even more influential.

Her use of Ghanaian kente as part of her performance clothing became so distinctive that the material was associated with her name.

The style became known as Pagne du Asabia, essentially referring to Asabia’s cloth or trademark style.

She and Kenteman used kente not simply as clothing but as a cultural statement.

Their stage appearances combined music with Ghanaian textile traditions and helped project the image of Ghanaian kente to audiences outside the country.

This combination of music and fashion eventually became one of the strongest parts of their identity.

Queen Asabia Cropper reigns with kente headwear for 50 years - Graphic ...

Recording  Wamaya

One of the songs strongly associated with Queen Asabia is Wamaya.

The song was recorded through Eboni Records in Côte d’Ivoire, with Abdoulaye Soumare involved in the recording process.

The Eboni Records band also had connections with internationally recognised African musicians.

Kenteman, for instance, played bass when the band backed Mory Kanté on his N’Diarabi project.

Wamaya later became one of Asabia’s signature songs and remains one of the tracks audiences associate with her career.

Queen Asabia Cropper reigns with kente headwear for 50 years - Graphic ...

Asabia’s career also involved collaborations beyond Ghana.

In 1982, she collaborated with Samuel Mangwana and Jimmy Hyacinthe on the album Sam Asabia.

Her career therefore developed within a wider West African musical environment rather than being limited to the Ghanaian market.

This was particularly significant at a time when musicians did not have today’s digital platforms to reach international audiences.

Cross-border performances, physical records, radio and live concerts were among the main ways African musicians expanded their audiences.

Her music catalogue

Some of the recordings associated with Queen Asabia include: Wamaya, Torwia, Inamosi, I Love So Much, Asabia.

Her songs have continued to appear in performances and retrospectives celebrating Ghanaian highlife.

At a 2019 Signature Concert, for example, Asabia performed Torwia, Inamosi, and finished with Wamaya.

Queen Asabia welcomes another Heritage Month - MyJoyOnline

Becoming the Queen of Highlife

Asabia’s career eventually earned her one of the most recognisable titles in Ghanaian music.

She was honoured as the Queen of Highlife Music through the Union of National Radio and Television Organisations of Africa (URTNA) awards.

She also received a gold disc in 1984 from Daniel Cuxac, an international music executive associated with Disco Stock International in Côte d’Ivoire.

In the same period, she and Kenteman were increasingly being recognised not only as musicians but also as cultural ambassadors.

Eugenia Asabia Cropper - Afrisson

A cultural ambassador

In 1993, the URTNA awards recognised Asabia and Kenteman as cultural ambassadors of Africa.

That recognition reflected the wider cultural dimension of their work.

They were promoting music, but they were also presenting a visual representation of Ghana through their kente clothing.

Their performances communicated Ghanaian identity through sound, colour, fashion and stage presentation.

Asabia’s achievements were also recognised within Ghana’s entertainment industry.

Her self-titled album Asabia was reportedly selected as Album of the Year, while she was named Artist of the Year at the 1985 Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana awards.

This was a significant moment for a female instrumentalist and singer working within a largely male-dominated highlife environment.

Biography of Asabea Cropper | GhArticles.com

More than a musician

One of the things that separates Queen Asabia from many musicians of her generation is the fact that she built a complete artistic identity.

She had: Music, Fashion, Kente, Saxophone, Stage performance, African cultural representation.

The different elements became inseparable from the Queen Asabia image.

Asabia’s contribution did not disappear as Ghanaian music changed.

In 2019, she was honoured at the Rhythms On Da Runway fashion show for her contribution to fashion in Ghana.

She was also honoured at the MUSIGA Presidential Grand Ball and received an Industry Heroes Award.

In March 2021, she was among personalities recognised at the 3Music Awards Women’s Brunch for their contributions to the entertainment industry.

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Unlike many musicians from her generation who have completely withdrawn from public performances, Asabia has continued to appear at highlife and cultural events.

In 2024, she and Kenteman returned to the stage at an Authentic Highlife Night organised to support the Musicians Union of Ghana’s Aged Musicians Welfare Fund.

Asabia, who serves as chairperson of AMWEF, performed alongside musicians from different generations.

Their entrance in colourful kente clothing once again brought together the two elements that have defined their careers: music and fashion.

In 2025, Asabia marked approximately 50 years of using kente headwear as part of her public image.

At the Highlife Heritage Concert 2025, she performed and also brought young women onto the stage to model some of her distinctive headwear styles.

The moment demonstrated how a practice she learned from her mother and grandmother had evolved into a major part of her artistic identity.

Asabia Cropper Wa Ma Ya Dome - YouTube

Asabia has continued to speak about the importance of preserving Ghanaian music.

At a Highlife Heritage Monthly Concert in June 2026, she performed with the New Ramblers Band, played her soprano saxophone and spoke about the connection between music, culture and Ghanaian identity.

She described highlife as something people continue to cherish as they grow older and emphasised that it belongs to Ghana and deserves to be treasured.

Why Queen Asabia deserves to be remembered

For younger Ghanaians who know highlife mainly through its modern interpretations, Queen Asabia’s story offers another perspective.

She represents a generation when musicians were expected to be more than recording artists.

They had to perform live.

They had to entertain audiences without social media.

They had to build their own visual identity.

And for Asabia, that identity became unmistakable.

The soprano saxophone.

The voice.

The colourful kente.

The headgear.

The twin brother beside her.

And the name Queen Asabia.

Her journey from the Sweet Talks era through Côte d’Ivoire and the Black Hustlers Band to later highlife heritage performances makes her one of the important women in Ghana’s popular music history.

Today, she continues to appear at cultural and highlife events, keeping alive a musical tradition that has passed through several generations.

Queen Asabia, Kenteman shine at AMWEF show - Graphic Online

Queen Asabia Cropper — singer and soprano saxophonist
Kenteman — twin brother, bassist, multi-instrumentalist and producer
Tex Korley — saxophone tutor
Sammy Lartey Snr. — GBC bandleader and saxophone tutor
Sweet Talks Band — group with which she performed in the 1970s
Black Hustlers Band — group associated with her Côte d’Ivoire period
Mory Kanté — African musician whose N’Diarabi project was backed by the Eboni Records band with Kenteman on bass

Queen Asabia’s story is ultimately about music, identity and the deliberate preservation of Ghanaian culture. Her career demonstrates how a musician could use both sound and fashion to create an identity that remained recognisable decades after the first performance.

GTA launches Highlife at 100, celebrating Ghana’s musical legacy - The ...

And while many names from Ghana’s golden highlife era have gradually faded from mainstream conversation, Queen Asabia Cropper remains one of the women whose story deserves to be brought back into the spotlight.

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I Was Eating with Him That Day – Joint 77 Claims Shatta Wale Hid Beyoncé Shoot

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Former SM Militant member Joint 77 has recounted what he describes as a betrayal of trust by dancehall artiste Shatta Wale, particularly over the artiste’s collaboration with global music star Beyoncé.

Speaking in an interview on Max TV, shared on X on September 28, 2026, Joint 77 claimed that Shatta Wale failed to inform him or other members of the group about his trip to shoot a music video with Beyoncé, despite their close relationship at the time.

According to Joint 77, he was with Shatta Wale on the day the artiste travelled and even shared a meal with him shortly before his departure.

He alleged that Shatta Wale did not disclose the actual purpose of the trip and only informed him about the music video shoot after he had already travelled and encountered difficulties.

“I was with him like the other guys were there when he was going to shoot a video with Beyoncé. I was eating with him like this at the same table. He left that evening without telling anybody anything,” Joint 77 said.

He further claimed that members of the crew were unaware of the trip because Shatta Wale allegedly believed they might interfere with or spoil the work.

“Nobody in the crew knew because he thought we were wizards and would want to spoil his work. He went there alone to face the consequences before he called me, telling me a whole lot,” he added.

Joint 77 said the incident made him feel that his love and trust for Shatta Wale had been taken for granted.

He also alleged that Shatta Wale would sometimes perform songs they had recorded together without inviting the group to his events.

“I moved because the way I held Shatta Wale, he wasn’t able to help us. Even travelling alone with the Militant to perform was a problem for him. He goes alone to perform ‘Taking Over’. He performs all of our songs, our verses. When he’s going, sometimes he will not even tell you,” Joint 77 stated.

The comments highlight the grievances Joint 77 says contributed to his decision to distance himself from Shatta Wale and the SM Militant group.

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Pete Edochie arrives in Ghana for major legacy project

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Nollywood veteran Pete Edochie has arrived in Ghana as part of plans to launch the Pete Edochie Legacy Project, an initiative aimed at celebrating his decades-long contribution to African cinema and storytelling.

The legendary Nigerian actor’s arrival has generated excitement among Ghanaian movie lovers, many of whom have followed his career for decades.

The project is expected to focus on Edochie’s life, career, experiences and contribution to African film, while also creating an avenue for younger generations to learn from his journey.

The actor had earlier announced his intention to visit Ghana, telling Ghanaians that his trip would involve them directly.

“I’m gonna be in Ghana and what I am coming for involves you, and I’m not going to be in a hurry to go home,” he said in a message to Ghanaians.

Edochie also expressed his affection for Ghana and said he had missed the country.

The Pete Edochie Legacy Project is being presented as a celebration of an acting career that has stretched across several decades and made him one of the most recognisable faces in African cinema.

Edochie became internationally known for his portrayal of Okonkwo in the television adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, a role that helped establish him as one of Nigeria’s most respected actors.

Beyond that performance, he has appeared in numerous Nigerian films and television productions and has become known for playing authoritative, traditional and complex characters.

His arrival in Ghana also carries a cultural dimension because of the long-standing connection between Ghana’s and Nigeria’s film industries.

The two countries have shared actors, producers, directors and audiences for decades, with Ghanaian and Nigerian productions frequently crossing national borders.

The legacy project is expected to provide an opportunity to revisit Edochie’s career while highlighting the lessons and experiences he has accumulated during his years in the creative industry.

The exact programme of activities surrounding the Ghana leg of the project has been subject to updates, with organisers promoting the initiative as a celebration of the veteran actor’s enduring influence.

Edochie’s Ghana visit comes after he personally appealed to Ghanaians to look forward to his arrival, telling them that he was coming with a project that would involve them.

The actor has also previously faced recurring false reports about his death, which he has publicly addressed while reflecting on the impact such rumours can have on him and his family.

His current visit to Ghana instead places the focus on his career, legacy and contribution to African entertainment.

Source: Adom Online

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Daddy Lumba Remembered: Odo Broni Supports Mothers at Korle Bu

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The family of late highlife icon Daddy Lumba has commemorated what would have been his 62nd birthday with a charitable gesture at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

On Tuesday, September 29, Daddy Lumba’s wife, Odo Broni, joined his sister, Faustina Fosu, as well as relatives and close associates of the late musician to extend financial assistance to patients and new mothers at the hospital.

As part of the initiative, medical bills for mothers who had delivered at the hospital but were unable to settle their expenses were paid. Odo Broni also covered the hospital bills of mothers who gave birth on September 29, in memory of her late husband.

The family further donated to support mothers whose children are receiving treatment for cancer, with each beneficiary receiving GH¢3,000.

Odo Broni explained that the decision was deeply connected to Daddy Lumba’s personal experience with cancer through his mother, Comfort Ama Saah Gyamfi, who died after battling leukaemia.

She said memories of his mother remained emotional for the late musician, who would often become tearful whenever he spoke about her.

“My mother-in-law had leukaemia and died, and anytime my late husband spoke about her, he wept. That’s why I have come to donate money to mothers whose children are battling cancer,” she said.

The gesture formed part of activities to honour Daddy Lumba’s memory while offering practical support to people going through difficult circumstances.

Reflecting on her husband’s legacy, Odo Broni said his physical absence had not diminished the impact of the music he created.

She noted that Daddy Lumba’s songs continue to bring happiness, comfort and cherished memories to listeners, with his musical works remaining relevant across generations.

According to her, the legacy he built throughout his career would continue to live on and influence people even in the years ahead.

Daddy Lumba, born Charles Kwadwo Fosu, was one of Ghana’s most celebrated highlife musicians. He died on July 26, 2025, at the age of 60.

 

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Kofi Ajorlolo reveals how Ghana producers banned him from acting

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Veteran Ghanaian actor Kofi Ajorlolo has revealed that a group of movie producers once imposed a two-year ban on him, preventing him from working in Ghana’s film industry.

Ajorlolo disclosed the experience in a recent video posted on Instagram by CelebrityBlogg55, where he reflected on some of the challenges he encountered during his long acting career.

According to the actor, the ban was initially expected to last for two years. However, the decision was eventually abandoned after about six to eight months.

“I was banned from acting in Ghana for 2 years by a group of producers,” Ajorlolo said.

He explained that despite the restriction, the ban did not prevent him from securing acting opportunities because producers from Nigeria continued to approach him for roles.

“Finally, I think they themselves went back, and they realised that no, it was not worth it because as they were banning me in Ghana here, Nigerian producers too were calling, fighting for me to come perform. So it didn’t affect me,” he explained.

Ajorlolo said the situation eventually forced the producers to reconsider their decision, leading to the ban being withdrawn.

“After six months or eight months or so, they themselves just pulled that thing out that I should come back,” he disclosed.

Reflecting on the incident, the veteran actor described himself as a sacrificial lamb, suggesting that his experience formed part of a broader situation within the Ghanaian movie industry at the time.

“So they used me as a sacrificial lamb. That was the first time,” he said.

The revelation offers a glimpse into some of the tensions that existed within Ghana’s film industry and the influence producers had over actors and local productions.

Ajorlolo has enjoyed a career spanning several decades, featuring in both Ghanaian and Nigerian film productions. His work across the two industries has also made him a familiar face to audiences in Ghana and Nigeria.

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Sarkodie applauds Mahama over US health compact decision

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Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie has expressed support for President John Dramani Mahama following the government’s decision to reject a proposed health compact with the United States.

In a post on his X page, Sarkodie praised President Mahama for refusing to accept what the government considered problematic conditions contained in the proposed agreement.

“Thank you, Mr President… Hopefully one day we gain back the full respect deserved,” Sarkodie wrote.

His reaction followed comments by President Mahama explaining why Ghana declined the proposed compact, which was presented as an alternative arrangement after the country lost funding previously provided through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Friday, September 25, 2026, President Mahama said the Health Ministry had initially examined the proposed agreement before preparing a Cabinet Information Paper for consideration.

According to the President, Cabinet identified several provisions that raised concerns and ultimately decided against accepting the agreement.

One of the issues he highlighted was a requirement for Ghana to submit its pathogen profile, which would contain information relating to diseases endemic to the country.

President Mahama said Cabinet also questioned a provision that appeared to require Ghana to provide medical records.

He further pointed to conditions concerning Ghana’s financial contribution to the programme and restrictions that would have affected the Food and Drugs Authority’s ability to inspect medicines and other medical products entering the country under the arrangement.

The President described the terms as unacceptable and said Cabinet rejected the compact shortly after it was presented.

He described the decision as one of the fastest rejections of an agreement he had witnessed in Cabinet.

Sarkodie’s post has since drawn attention to the government’s position, with the rapper framing the decision as part of efforts to restore Ghana’s dignity and international respect.

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